The Mystery Box
by lostboy112
Summary: A young lad named Glen discovers what it is to be a troubled kid. Follow Glen on this remarkable journey of redemption.


Short Story Series

The Mystery Box

1. The Box

"Ill race ya home!", David says while catching up to his little brother. "Ok!", Glen vibrantly says. "But I get to count it down". "Three… TwoOne Go!" Glen gets a head start with an early lead! Racing down the street his brother catches up, "Oh no you don't", David mutters close to Glen's ear. David begins to take over the race, slightly ahead of his little brother. Glen's eyes are watering, his hair is flailing and his legs are tired but he strides on! Something catches Glen's eye and he suddenly stops running. "Glen?" David comes jogging back. Glen's eyes widen with intrigue as he pears into a newly opened Magic supply shop. "The Mystery Box" The outside sign read. He slowly makes his way inside and is amazed at the thought of a whole store devoted to magic. He looks around and sees enthralling kits and magic bags of all sorts. From card trick training, to pulling a rabbit out of a hat, this place had it all. "Wow, this place has everything a kid could want!" says David following Glen. A couple of items in particular obtain Glen's attention. "The Novice Magician's Magic Kit!" read one box, "Pick a Card any Card!" read another, but as Glen made his way through the store, there it was, "?". A box twice as big as a shoe box, and twice as wide, was resting above a huge fireplace on a giant mantle in the back of the store. Glen walked close to it and read the tags cryptic message. "Few know the boxes secrets. Many believe they know. Those who do, wish memory reset. And those who don't, are full of regret." Glen studies and rereads the message for a couple of minutes. He notices a price tag "$15". Glen feels two heavy hands hit his shoulders and a voice whispers "You know what's in the box don't ya?". Glen, caught off guard replies, "No sir, what?". The mysterious man turns Glen to him, "Hope, my boy." Glen turns back around at the box and studies it once more. He feels a tap on his shoulder, He turns around expecting it to be the same man, "We gotta go!" David says, "Mom and Dad will be mad if we get home late you clutz!" David starts dragging Glen away, Glen takes one last look at the magnificent box and they leave the magic store.

2. Home

"I wouldn't have to if you had a stable job for once Martin!", Ilene yells. The boys slip in the front door unnoticed. "Yeah, that's good, just throw the blame on me again! No, Good, I appreciate that Ilene." Martin yells. Ilene lets out a long mad sigh. Martin notices the boys and walks over to them. They both had a disheartened look. "Hey guys! Mom and I were just…uhh working things out is all. How was school?" Glens eyes lit up, "School was all well and good, but me and David went into a magic store! And we saw all these neat things, and umm dad can I please have it please please!". Martin looked at him and gave a chuckle "What son, what do you want?" Glen brings his father closer and tells him, "The mystery box!" Martin thinks carefully about his next words, "Ok Glen I'll get it for you but you have to promise to help your mom take care of the house…. Oh k??" Glen doesn't hesitate, "Yes!" pumping his fists back in glory. Martin informs Glen, "We'll go tomorrow and get it first thing in the mornin." Glen and David both raced upstairs to their rooms.

3. The Fight

The house is still, its night. Ilene reads her magazines on the couch in front of the tele. Martin sips on some coffee while reading the Job listings in the latest paper. A sudden pain reaches David in his dreams. He quickly awakes, and gets up slowly. As he finds his way to the bathroom he hears his mom start to speak downstairs, David listens in. "Martin, I have something to tell you." She approaches him and sits next to him on the dinner table. She slowly looks at him with tears in her eye, "I cant do this anymore.." Martin stops reading and looks at her. Ilene slowly speaks, "Honey, we tried, and we tried hard but this isn't working and we both know it." Martin quickly rebuttals, "What?! No, I mean we are having some difficult times right now, but well get through them, like we always have dear!" Ilene rebukes, "Martin, were on an extremely tight budget and you promise Glen a toy for FIFTEEN DOLLARS?!? No that wont work, I cant deal with it anymore.. I want a divorce." Martin quickly adds, "Your mad that I made a promise to our son about a little toy? Its no big deal Ilene." Ilene counters, "Martin, its not just this time, you've been silly with our money and a bad husband!" Martin tries desperately to glue his marriage back together but Ilene's decision is final.

4. Deserted

The next morning Glen quickly awakes excited for the day to begin. He runs to his closet finding any clothes that remotely match and throws them on. He quickly sprints to the bathroom and brushes his teeth so fast the brush didn't have time to prepare it self and snaps the head of it off. Glen begins planning his next mission downstairs but is quickly interrupted by his mother. "Glen honey, there's something we need to talk about." Ilene says, a tear runs down her face. " Your father and I have decided that… it would be better if we split apart." Glen, completely caught off guard, has the most puzzled look on his face. "He's not here?" he says curiously. "It was nothing you or David did Glen, I want you to understand that." Ilene says, trying to be reassuring but failing. Ilene kept talking but Glen was in complete denial of what was going on. He tuned out everything his mother said and an idea came to the front of his head. He sprinted away from his mom while crying hysterically, "Dad! Dad! Where are you! You were supposed to go with me today!" He checks the kitchen, no one. He checks the master bed room, no one. He soon realizes that his father has deserted him. Ilene gets up and makes her way to David's room planning on notifying him the same news. Minutes go by and Glen is standing still in the kitchen. He hears his brother scream and cry as loud as he has ever heard anyone cry. A tear streams down his face.

5. Hope

A couple days go by and they return to class. After school, Glen sees David and begins walking with him home. "You know its our fault don't you?" David says. "No, mom said it wasn't!" Glen quickly adds. "She hates us, she wished we were never born, its our fault" David distressingly says. David begins to run, tears in his eye heading for home. Glen tries to keep up but can't. Eventually David looses him and Glen is all alone walking down the street. Glen looks up, "The Mystery Box!" He quickly runs in and pauses to look around in amazement once more. The news of his father leaving him was for the first time in the back of his head. He quickly runs to the ? Labeled box in the corner of the store. He stands in astonishment at the possibility, the potential of this item. "Maybe it can bring my dad back!" he mutters to himself. The same heavy hands he's felt before lay once again on his skrony shoulders. "You really want that box huh?" the mysterious man says. "Oh yes sir I do, maybe it can bring my father back!" Glen says in desperation. "Well, I don't usually do this… but you're a special case. Tell ya what, ill give you this box for free if you promise to make everything right again…" Glen really didn't understand at the time what the mysterious man was asking of him but he just wanted the box. "Yes sir, umm I'll do my best." The mysterious man reached for the box and pulled it down. "Ok here ya go kiddo, now run home and remember what we talked about." the mysterious man says. Glen, box in hand, runs as fast as he could home.

6. Death and Life

He burst the door open! "Mom! David! Look what I got!" Glen heard nothing. "Mom?!… David!?" he said. He quickly ran up stairs and walked the hall to David's room. He exploded through the door! "DAVID YOU HAVE TO SEE….." something interrupted him… He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. There lie his brother on the bed with a bloodied head and pistol beside him. "DAVID! DAVID! He screamed hysterically crying hard. His brother was dead. He ran back to his room screaming. He shuts the door to his room. Glen slowly lets his back pack drop off his shoulders and hit the ground. He places the box in front of him and says a little prayer. "Please Lord, let this make things right" he says, tears streaming. Glen lifts the mystery boxes lid for the first time ever. His eyes are fixed on the lid slowly coming off……….Nothing… Nothing is in side. The cardboard its made out of taunts little Glen and he begins to cry once more… He suddenly hears footsteps in his house. He quickly rises to his feat and walks over to the stairs. STEP STEP STEP Glen cowers behind the wall. "Glen! Its dinner time come down already!" a familiar voice yells. Glen didn't understand, he slowly walked down the stairs and inspected the dining room. He sees his father loosening a tie he's never seen before. Glen is confounded, mouth wide. His mom walks in the dinning room placing a big chicken breast on the table. Her hair was done, along with her make up and she looks like she had been to work….BUMP Glen is pushed by another coming down the stairs, "Come on baby brother, it'll get cold…"


End file.
